


Conspirators, Cupboards, and Confessions

by tehfanglyfish



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, mentions of Gwen/Lancelot, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-07
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-10-23 18:09:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17688338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tehfanglyfish/pseuds/tehfanglyfish
Summary: Guinevere and the knights engage in a plan of deception. A cupboard is involved. Confessions are made.





	Conspirators, Cupboards, and Confessions

**Author's Note:**

> Not my characters. No profits for me, only the joy of fluff.

“It’s in there,” Guinevere said, gesturing toward the cupboard. “Thank you so much for taking the time to do this, Arthur. I know it seems silly but I’ve been terrified to fetch linens all day.”

“Well, what are knights for if not rescuing damsels in distress,” Arthur replied. “Your king will now vanquish the foul beast.”

Gwen smiled as Arthur walked into the dark cupboard.

“Now!” she cried. The door slammed shut and Arthur found himself in the dark. He shoved with all of his kingly muscles, but the door wouldn’t budge. Something large and bulky was on the other side. 

“Guinevere,” Arthur yelled, “why have you locked me in the cupboard? I know you’re scared but I can’t kill the spider if I can’t see it.”

Gwen did not reply. Instead, Arthur heard shuffling outside the door.

“Eh, you’re not quite locked in yet, sire,” Percival’s voice called through. “It’ll just be a second. Gwen’s gone to get the key.”

“Percival? Is that you? Why are you holding the door shut?”

“Gwen told me to.”

“Well I’m telling you to open it.”

“I’m afraid that I can’t do that, sire. Gwen says that it’s a matter of great…”

“I don’t care what Guinevere says. I am your king and I am ordering you to open this door at once!”

The only response to Arthur’s command was the sound of a key turning in a lock.

“Are you there, Guinevere? Let me out and we’ll forget this whole thing ever happened. We’ll attribute it to panic induced by the size of the supposed spider and all will be forgiven. Just let me out of this bloody cupboard.”

“I’m sorry, Arthur,” Gwen replied. “This is for your own good. And, if we’re all honest here, the good of the kingdom. You’re confined to this cupboard until you and Merlin sort yourselves out. Percival and I are going to leave for awhile to give you privacy. We’ll check back in later. Good luck.”

“Gwen! Come back,” Arthur cried while banging on the door. “And what about Merlin? I don’t even know where he… oh.”

Another person bumped into Arthur and while the king couldn’t actually see who it was, he had a pretty solid guess.

“Hello, Arthur.”

“Ah, Merlin. It’s wonderful that you took the initiative to warn me that Gwen has apparently lost her mind and is locking people in cupboards. If you hadn’t brought that to my attention so quickly we might have ended up trapped ourselves. Fortunately, you were as helpful as always and now we’re having a fabulous day not confined in a tight space with the linens. Seriously, why didn’t you say anything?”

“As it happens,” Merlin began, “I fell asleep.”

“You fell asleep? How long have you been in here?”

“Not entirely sure. Gwen found me early this morning. She was complaining about a rat and here I am. She did leave some food. It’s over there if you’re hungry.”

Arthur assumed that Merlin was gesturing, a completely ridiculous thing to do in the dark.

“Well, that explains why my unreliable manservant didn’t bring my breakfast.”

“What should we do now?” Merlin asked.

“I’m not sure,” Arthur replied. “She’s clearly got Percival on her side.”

“And Gwaine,” Merlin interjected. “Gwaine held the door shut when she brought me here this morning.”

“So that means that at least two of my knights are compromised,” Arthur said thoughtfully. “Never mind. I am a master of strategy. I simply have to strategize a way out of here.”

“Should we yell for help? Or keep banging on the door? You could hack at the door with your sword. Why did you bring a sword to fight a spider?”

“Merlin…”

“Yes, Arthur?”

“Shut up.”

Arthur heard the sound of Merlin easing himself down to sit on the floor. After a few moments Arthur did the same.

“There has to be an explanation. Why would Guinevere do this to us? She’s always been a loyal friend. She could’ve taken ill in a way that affected her brain. Or perhaps she and the knights are enchanted? This definitely has the mark of sorcery.”

“Maybe,” Merlin said, sounding not all that convinced. “She certainly didn’t appear that befuddled when she shoved me in here. She seemed to know what she was doing, almost as though she’d planned this well in advanced. And I think that Gwaine was in on the plan.”

“Hmm…” Arthur was thinking. “Merlin, she said something about you and I needing to sort something out… I’m really not sure of what.”

“That’s what Gwaine said to me this morning,” Merlin replied. “He told me that this was for our own good and that we were idiots and that it was the only way.”

“Well, that’s something to start with,” said Arthur. “We’ll just have to figure out what they want us to do, act as though we’ve done it, and then we can get out of this cupboard. Now the question is, what is there to resolve between me and you?”

Merlin and Arthur fell into an uneasy silence.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Now, dear reader, is the time for the chronicler to interject a bit of contextual information that, if you had never before met our two beloved characters, you might not know. Both the king and his servant harbored what we might refer to as… feelings… for one another. Feelings that went beyond professional respect, feudal reciprocity, or even platonic friendship. These were the kind of feelings often associated with Eros, the feelings of passion and romantic love. The kinds of feelings that would’ve caused the deceased Uther Pendragon to have rolled in his grave, had he learned of how they were developing between his son and Merlin. (Uther learning this information would’ve been contingent upon someone taking the time and effort to summon him from the spirit world to tell him. Since most everyone in all the five kingdoms was relieved to learn of his passing, no one was actually foolish enough to try to bring him back from the great beyond. “Just let that one go” was the sentiment of most people who had known, or had known of, Uther Pendragon.)

But the chronicler is digressing. As is often the case in these kinds of accounts, the two had been pining for each other for years under the misinformed assumption that their feelings were entirely one-sided and would never be returned. And so our lovesick fools spent their days showing their love for one another in actions that they believed perfectly concealed the truth of the matter.

Arthur, attempting to employ the traits of rugged manliness that Uther said were necessary for good kingsmanship, proclaimed his undying love and devotion to Merlin through a variety of unspoken and somewhat cryptic displays of affection. He regularly punched Merlin, primarily to initiate physical contact and never hard enough to actually cause harm. He created impossible lists of daily tasks for Merlin to complete, which kept Merlin constantly in his presence. He secretly instructed the kitchen staff to add more food to his meals, so that he might have more leftovers for Merlin to secretly “steal,” as the king worried about Merlin’s slight frame. (Let it be known, dear reader, that Arthur had honestly considered having a second plate prepared for Merlin but was ultimately stopped by Uther’s infiltration of his subconscious, something which often sabotaged Arthur’s efforts at having a healthy relationship with his own emotions.)

For his part, Merlin also engaged in what he believed to be entirely covert proclamations of love. He kept Arthur’s chambers livable, if not exactly clean. There might be clothes strewn about but no one was going to catch a disease. Merlin accompanied Arthur on countless adventures, cheering Arthur on to override the self-doubt that Uther had implanted in Arthur’s subconscious. (If one were to ask Merlin about his praise for Arthur’s feats of strength and bravery, Merlin would’ve replied that it simply went along with the job of servant, had no other meaning, and he needed to be going, thank you.) Merlin also had a very secret habit of regularly saving Arthur’s life with Merlin’s very-banned, never-to-be-revealed magical abilities. (Merlin recognized the importance of building up Arthur’s self-confidence, but acknowledged that there were times when a well-thrown fireball was also needed. A diverse arsenal is a happy arsenal was Merlin’s essential philosophy on the matter.)

Now, dear reader, it may come as a shock to you to learn this, but the only people in Merlin and Arthur’s inner circle of beloved friends who were not aware of the mutual love and affection between the two men were, in fact, Merlin and Arthur. The chronicler will give you a moment to process this stunning revelation.

Gwaine had come to recognize their shared attraction when he helped Merlin help Arthur retrieve the trident of the Fisher King. At first he thought that the devotion Merlin showed Arthur was one-sided, but the return trip revealed a protective possessiveness on the part of the then-prince that Gwaine found to be somewhat endearing. Several of the other knights had also picked up on the longing glances and flirtatious banter between the king and his servant, though Lancelot and Gwaine had to take Leon aside and explain things to him in great detail.

Guinevere had been on to them for years and had tried subtly dropping hints to push them toward each other. Unfortunately for all three, her efforts had embarrassingly left Arthur thinking that she was attracted to him. After several awkward conversations and a few public groping sessions with Lancelot, all was resolved and things returned to what could be called normal. Undaunted, Guinevere decided to be less subtle. Conspiring with the knights, she put into motion her current plan to confine the two in a tight space until they declared their love for each other. Gwen recognized the ethical implications of interfering in other people’s lives but she and the knights had grown somewhat frustrated with the constant staring and sighing and dramatic flopping about of Arthur and Merlin. After several intense discussions, the conspirators had come to the conclusion that Camelot would be well-served by having a happy, sexually satisfied king.

And so, dear reader, the chronicler will now return you to the linen closet of destiny so that we might see how this story is resolved.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

A fair amount of time had passed since the silence had set in between Arthur and Merlin when they heard footsteps outside.

“Princess, Merlin,” Gwaine’s voice came through the door. “Enjoying your day? Have you learned anything life changing?”

Arthur went for his most kingly tone. “Gwaine, I command you to open this door right now.”

“You know that I can’t do that, Arthur. Don’t worry. You’ll thank me when it’s all over.”

Arthur started to yell again when Merlin cut him off.

“Gwaine, please. We have no clue what you all want us to do. This cupboard is small and eventually we’re going to have to pee. Can you at least give us a clue?”

“Well… alright. If you want out of the cupboard, you’re going to have to confess. I’ll give you time to think things over and figure it out.” And with that, Gwaine walked off.

Merlin’s heart almost stopped. He started to sweat. He couldn’t breathe. Merlin was a man who, despite having spent most of his life deceiving the world about his true nature, was painfully honest with himself. He had two deeply held secrets to confess. One was that he was madly, truly, and deeply in love with his king. The other was that he was the most powerful sorcerer to walk the Earth. He feared neither would go over well with Arthur. He also wondered which one Gwaine had figured out and what would happen if he didn’t confess. Would Gwaine out him? Would Arthur be less angry if Merlin told him now? Did this mean that Gwen and the other knights knew his secrets? Were they aware that locking Merlin in a small cupboard with an angry king with a sword and telling him to confess might lead to lethal consequences?

Unaware of Merlin’s own panic, Arthur was experiencing his own internal turbulence. Like Merlin, Arthur was a man who was honest with himself. He’d known for years that he had loved Merlin in a way that way that went well beyond the bonds of friendship. As a true son of Uther, Arthur had simply accepted that those feelings would need to stay repressed for the duration of his life, never to be voiced freely. And yet here he was, locked in a closet with the object of his affections, trapped until he confessed. How had the knights and Gwen known? Arthur thought that he’d been so careful at hiding this part of him.

“Arthur,” Merlin’s shaking voice cut through the king’s thoughts. “Arthur I think… I think that to get out of here… Gwaine said to confess and I think that I know what…”

“You know?” Arthur cut him off. “I thought I’d done so well at hiding. Oh, Merlin, I never meant to make you uncomfortable and I’m so sorry and…”

“Oh Arthur, you’ve got nothing to be sorry about. All this time I meant to keep it secret and I didn’t want to lie to you. It’s just that there never seemed to be a good time and…”

“Wait… what? You’ve been hiding something? Because I thought this was about me and how I…”

The two men sat in a kind of terrified silence.

“Merlin,” Arthur said after a bit, “I think we’ve both been keeping something from each other. Maybe we should just both confess? We have no way of knowing what Gwen and the knights found out and if we get everything in the open then they’ll have no reason to lock us back in this cupboard again.”

Merlin took a deep breath. “Ilovemagic!”

“What?!”

“No. That’s not what I meant. I mean I do. I suppose. Some of it. Not all magic. Not dark magic. Not like necromancy or anything like that. But kind magic, healing magic, useful magic… the defensive type that helps you save the life of your stupid, beautiful king when he runs in to battle without thinking. That kind of magic I love. But that’s not what I was supposed to confess. It’s part of it, I guess. I mean, it’s tied to my secret. Only it’s not just one secret and what I am trying to say is that oh god Arthur I’m talking and it’s not coming out right.”

“Shh… just breathe,” Arthur tried to calm Merlin. Not quite sure of what to do this kind of situation, he tentatively rubbed a hand up and down Merlin’s back. He’d once seen Gwen do something similar for a kitchen maid who was wailing over a broken engagement. He would emulate Guinevere. He could do this whole emotions thing.

“So are you trying to tell me that we should lift the ban on magic? Is that your confession? Merlin, you know I value your advice and while I understand that you might be worried because of how opposed to magic my father was, you don’t have to get us locked in a cupboard just to propose a new policy. Also, did you say that your king is beautiful?”

“No. Maybe. Yes. I mean, what I am trying to say is that I would like it if the ban on magic was lifted because… because I have magic and also I love you and yes you are beautiful and please don’t kill me with your spider-hunting sword.”

“You love me?” Arthur was stunned. “Like what kind of love? Like I’m your king and of course you revere me? Or I’m your friend? Or maybe you consider me like family?”

“You absolute turnip! I love you like Gwen loves Lancelot. Only more. I write these horrendous poems about you and your stupid hair and your gorgeous smile that I burn because I’m scared someone will find them. You’re ridiculously fucking beautiful with your hair and your eyes and your perfect stupid teeth. Are you even sure that you’re really related to Uther? I want to keep spending my days with you but I want to stay with you at nights. It’s a bit fast and incredibly inappropriate but I think I might want to marry you even though that could never happen for so many reasons. I mean, I am your servant and your friend and that’s enough. It’s always been enough and it always will be and please don’t send me away. And oh by the way did you catch that I have magic?”

“You want to marry me? Like with a ring and everything?”

In spite of Arthur’s surprisingly hopeful tone, Merlin felt very glad that the cupboard was dark so that Arthur couldn’t see just how red his face likely was at this point. It took him a moment to reply.

“One day. I think so. Maybe. Yes. It’s just hard to think of life without you.”

“Merlin,” Arthur sighed. “Can I kiss you?”

“What?  You want to…”

“I’ve wanted to for years. I just thought that you wouldn’t…”

“Oh I would.”

Arthur froze. In his most private of private fantasies he’d imagined this moment, at least to some extent. But now that he was here and this was real, he faltered and couldn’t move, unable to believe that this was actually happening.

“It’s ok,” Merlin said, his voice soft and low. Arthur could feel Merlin’s breath on his face. Long cool fingers ran through his hair. “We can just sit here. We don’t have to…”

Merlin’s touch grounded Arthur and snapped him back to reality. He leaned in, trying to find Merlin’s lips in the dark, bumping foreheads in the process.

“Ow!”

“Sorry, sorry. I didn’t mean to…” Arthur was mortified.

“Maybe this will help.”

Merlin quietly muttered some strange words that Arthur couldn’t quite make out. A glowing orb appeared above them, softly illuminating the cupboard.

“Perfect!” exclaimed Arthur, who leaned in, gently pressing his lips against Merlin’s.

Merlin gasped and opened his mouth slightly to part Arthur’s lips with his tongue. Arthur groaned.

“Finally!” Leon’s voice came through the door. “Gwen, bring the keys. We can let them out now.”

Arthur made an executive decision.

“Leon, as your king, I am commanding you to keep this door shut. Also, I won’t be available for training this afternoon. And tell the council we’re meeting first thing in the morning. We have important policy changes to discuss. So go on. Don’t be a door crack listener.”

Leon’s footfalls trailed off in the distance.

Arthur began to turn back to Merlin.

“Er, Arthur… there’s just one thing. What was it that you were going to confess?” Merlin teased.

“I… um… Iloveservants!”

“You love servants? So that means that you love George?”

Arthur blushed. “No dollophead, I love you.


End file.
